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British Bookmakers Set to Make Record Contribution for Rights to Show Horse Racing

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British bookmakers are on track to make a record contribution to horse racing next year – with the bill for media rights forecast to increase by nearly £30m.

The Betting and Gaming Council’s five biggest members for horse race betting, Entain, Flutter, bet365, 888/William Hill and Betfred, expect to see a record cost increase to broadcast races.

In 2022, BGC members paid £270.1m for the rights to live stream races for customers and show them in bookmakers.

But that cost is forecast to rise to £285.3m this year, an increase of 5.6%, with members estimating a further increase to £315.2m in 2024, a further bump of 10.5%.

The combined increase for media rights costs is now expected to rise by 16.7% between 2022 and 2024.

The figures are based on data supplied by the Betting and Gaming Council’s five biggest members for horse race betting, then adjusted to include smaller operators, who must also pay for media rights.

Michael Dugher, CEO of Betting and Gaming Council, said: “BGC members are already making a record contribution to horse racing and these figures show that is only going to increase.

“This comes despite a reduction in betting turnover on racing in the last five years and a worrying decline in participation in horse race betting overall.

“Horse racing remains a hugely important, world-leading sport, enjoyed by millions of fans and like the betting industry it continues to support large numbers of jobs.

“I know racing is trying to modernise and reach out to new fans, while also trying to bounce back from the Covid pandemic and deal with some difficult economic headwinds, plus deal with the hit on its funding caused by the Government. The betting industry is dealing with many of the same pressures on our revenues and costs.

“The BGC and our members remain fully committed to working together with the leadership of the sport, including the BHA and others, to ensure a better future for racing. But the fact that we are making a record and growing contribution to the sport cannot be ignored.”

The forecast costs come after the BGC announced their members directly contributed £384m to British horse racing last year in levy, media rights and sponsorship deals.

These figures showed an increase on previous estimates for the regulated sector’s contribution, which had placed it at around £350m a year.

In addition, bookmakers spent £125m on marketing to promote racing and betting through advertisements and partnerships, which helps secure vital terrestrial coverage of the sport and raise revenue for print newspaper titles.

As well as the increased costs for media rights, levy payments are projected to be £99m in 2022/2023, according to the Horserace Betting Levy Board.

This record investment also enabled horse racing to use some of these revenues to deliver record prize money of £179.3m in 2022.

Horse racing is the second biggest sport in the UK, second only to football, with more than five million people attending around 1400 fixtures annually across 59 racecourses.

However, its popularity is in decline. In 2007, 17% of the population participated in horse race betting in the previous year, but that fell to 10% in 2018.

Meanwhile football overtook horse racing betting around the same time between 2017/2018.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has committed to reviewing the Horseracing Levy by next year.

The Horseracing Levy, which is administered by the Horserace Betting Levy Board, goes towards improving the sport, breeding and boosting veterinary care.

Betting operators are working closely with the British Horseracing Authority and racing stakeholders on much needed reforms to the fixture list and race programme which should increase commercial returns from the levy and media rights.

The regulated betting industry fully supports this once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernise horse racing so it can realise its full commercial potential.

The BGC is also working closely with the government on the proposed reforms from the White Paper to ensure those who enjoy betting can continue to do so without unnecessary intrusion, while introducing improved safeguards for the minority who struggle.

Betting shops currently support around 42,000 jobs, contribute £1bn a year in tax to the Treasury and another £60m in business rates to local councils.

The wider regulated betting and gaming industry contributes £7.1bn to the economy, generates £4.2bn in tax and supports 110,000 jobs.

In April DCMS unveiled the Government’s new White Paper on gambling reform, including a number of key measures the BGC had campaigned for.

Those included a new mandatory Ombudsman for the regulated sector, enhanced spending checks online and a new mandatory levy to fund research, education and treatment to tackle gambling related harm and problem gambling.

Each month in Great Britain around 22.5m adults have a bet and the most recent Health Survey for England estimated that 0.4% of the adult population are problem gamblers.

Meanwhile the unsafe, unregulated gambling black market online is growing in the UK, with the numbers betting on these sites doubling in recent years, and the amount staked in the billions.

CRM

Seen.io and Xtremepush link up to add personalised video to iGaming CRM flows

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Seen.io and Xtremepush have partnered to let iGaming operators trigger AI-powered personalised videos directly inside Xtremepush CRM and player engagement journeys. The companies said the integration is designed to add one-to-one video personalisation at scale without additional technical overhead for teams already using Xtremepush.

Under the agreement, Xtremepush customers can activate Seen.io videos across lifecycle campaigns including onboarding, first-time deposit (FTD) conversion, reactivation, VIP recognition and loyalty. Xtremepush sends player data to Seen.io via webhook in real time; Seen.io then renders a personalised video and thumbnail for delivery through the operator’s chosen channel.

The partners pointed to a shared customer, Superbet, as validation. Superbet ran a two-month A/B test using a Day 1 post-registration personalised welcome video sent via email versus a standard email onboarding sequence. The companies reported a +2.2 percentage point uplift in FTD conversions, 86% higher Net Promoter Score (NPS) among recipients, and engagement lifts including a 37% email open rate versus 29% average and a 7% video click rate versus 2.3% average. They also said 61% of video viewers felt “very motivated” to place a first bet, compared with 48% in the control group.

“The uplift in positive sentiment and motivation is fueling longer player lifecycles and higher retention rates. Seen.io has redefined our engagement strategy, and personalized video is now a cornerstone of how we build loyalty. With personalized videos, we’re seeing players explore and engage more,” said Andrei Popa, VP Online, Superbet.

Xtremepush said the partnership sits within its XP Partners Programme.

“iGaming operators have invested heavily in their CRM infrastructure, but the content they’re sending through it too often looks the same as everyone else’s. Personalised video changes that. When Seen.io joined the XP Partners Programme, it was a natural fit – a proven, high-impact capability that slots straight into how our customers already work. The Superbet results speak for themselves, and we’re excited to bring this to operators across our network,” said Robbie Sexton, Director of Partnerships & iGaming, Xtremepush.

Seen.io’s Marius Tungesvik, Director of Global Partnerships, added: “Xtremepush has built one of the most sophisticated CRM platforms in iGaming. What excites me is what happens when you layer personalised video on top of that foundation at exactly the right moment. Superbet is the proof: a 2.2 percentage point FTD uplift and an NPS nearly double that of standard email. Those aren’t marginal gains. It’s a testament to what can happen when great CRM infrastructure and personalised video work together.”

The post Seen.io and Xtremepush link up to add personalised video to iGaming CRM flows appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Baltics

HIPTHER Baltics: Riga 2026 Agenda – Where Compliance Meets Reality and Growth Gets Tested

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HIPTHER has officially released the full agenda for HIPTHER Baltics: Riga 2026, taking place on 11 May 2026 at the Grand Hotel Kempinski Riga, setting the stage for one of the region’s most focused and practically relevant gatherings at the intersection of compliance, fintech, AI, and player protection.

As the second stop in the HIPTHER Baltics 2026 series, the Riga edition builds on the momentum of Vilnius and sharpens the conversation around what comes next: operating, scaling, and staying compliant in an increasingly complex and tightly regulated environment.

Latvia 2026: Regulation, Risk & Innovation in Motion

The Riga agenda is designed around a simple reality: in today’s market, compliance is no longer a checkbox — it’s the foundation of sustainable growth.

Bringing together regulators, legal experts, fintech leaders, operators, and technology innovators, the one-day conference delivers a high-impact program across two parallel stages:

  • Compliance & Operations Lab
  • TechXperience Stage

Together, they explore how businesses can remain competitive while navigating regulatory pressure, technological disruption, and shifting market expectations.

From Theory to Practice: What the Agenda Delivers

Across a tightly curated schedule, HIPTHER Baltics: Riga 2026 dives into the real operational challenges shaping the Baltic and wider European ecosystem.

Key sessions include:

  • Baltic Gaming Law & Regulatory Outlook – A grounded look at regional frameworks and enforcement realities
  • FinTech Supervision in Practice: AI, Risk & Regulation – Moving beyond buzzwords into actual implementation
  • Player Protection in Practice – What responsible gaming looks like in real-world operations
  • AML Directives & Data Protection – Practical compliance strategies that actually work
  • Cross-Border Licensing & Regulatory Harmonization – Navigating multi-jurisdictional complexity
  • Fraud Prevention & Emerging Technologies – Staying ahead of increasingly sophisticated threats
  • Marketing, Affiliates & Growth in Regulated Markets – How to grow when visibility is restricted
  • Payments, Digital Assets & Fintech Innovation – Building resilient financial infrastructure

The agenda also addresses one of the most pressing shifts in digital strategy:

  • From SEO to AIEO – The transition from ranking websites to becoming the direct answer in AI-driven search environments

Four Core Pillars Defining Riga 2026

The conference is structured around four key pillars shaping the future of regulated industries:

  • Gaming Law & Player Protection – The leading theme: Enforcement, licensing, fraud prevention, and responsible gaming
  • FinTech & Payments – Supervision, digital assets, and financial infrastructure
  • AI & Compliance – Automation, risk, taxation, and operational workflows
  • Growth & Visibility – Market intelligence, affiliates, SEO, and AI-era discoverability

A Boutique Conference Built for Real Conversations

HIPTHER Baltics: Riga continues the series’ commitment to focused, high-level dialogue in a boutique environment, prioritizing meaningful interaction over mass-expo noise.

Attendees can expect:

  • Senior-level panels with regulators and industry leaders
  • Practical, implementation-driven discussions
  • Curated networking with decision-makers across gaming, fintech, and compliance
  • A full-day experience culminating in a Golden Hour Mixer and evening social gathering at the Skyline Bar

Part of a Larger Baltic Vision

HIPTHER Baltics 2026 spans three key cities — Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn — each designed to address locally relevant challenges while contributing to a broader regional dialogue on regulation, innovation, and growth.

This agenda was built for companies that understand growth today depends on getting compliance, technology, and player protection right at the same time. We’re bringing together decision-makers who want honest conversations, practical insights, and partnerships that actually move business forward“ said Zoltán Tűndik, Co-Founder & Head of Business at HIPTHER.

Event Details

HIPTHER Baltics: Riga 2026 – Cross-Border Compliance & Player Protection
📅 Date: 11 May 2026
📍 Location: Grand Hotel Kempinski Riga
🌐 More information & tickets: https://hipther.com/events/riga/

The post HIPTHER Baltics: Riga 2026 Agenda – Where Compliance Meets Reality and Growth Gets Tested appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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BETBY links sportsbook to QTech Games distribution network in Asia

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Deal plugs BETBY’s sportsbook API into QTech’s operator network across emerging markets, including Asia.

BETBY has signed a distribution partnership with aggregator QTech Games to supply its sportsbook solution to QTech’s network of operators, with the companies highlighting Asia and other emerging markets as the focus.

Under the agreement, QTech partners will be able to integrate BETBY’s full sportsbook via a single API, giving access to what BETBY says is a catalogue of more than 500,000 monthly events, AI-driven tools, and its esports feed, Betby.Its.

Stefanos Karakidis, Business Development Director at BETBY, said: “Partnering with QTech Games is a natural step for BETBY. They have established themselves as one of the most influential aggregators in Asia, with strong distribution channels and deep local expertise, while continuing to expand across other high-growth markets. QTech has a clear understanding of local player behaviour and operator needs, and together we’ll be able to deliver a Tier-1, mobile-first sportsbook experience, well suited to the demands of the markets they serve.”

Philip Doftvik, CEO at QTech Games, added: “We are delighted to add BETBY’s award-winning sportsbook to our platform. Their product is modern, flexible, and designed for fast-growing markets, aligning with what our operator partners are looking for. It’s perfect timing for us at QTech to expand our sportsbook offering with BETBY given the World Cup is around the corner. So, to every casino that wants to add a sportsbook before the FIFA World Cup – give us a call!”

The post BETBY links sportsbook to QTech Games distribution network in Asia appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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